The Island: A Novel

Elin Hilderbrand

Birdie Cousins has thrown herself into the details of her daughter Chess's lavish wedding, from the floating dance floor in her Connecticut backyard pond to the color of the cocktail napkins.  Like any mother of a bride-to-be, she is weathering the storms of excitement and chaos, tears and joy.  But Birdie, a woman who prides herself on preparing for every possibility, could never have predicted the late-night phone call from Chess abruptly announcing that she's cancelled her engagement.

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It's only the first hint of what will be a summer of upheavals and revelations. Before the dust has even begun to settle, far worse news arrives, sending Chess into a tailspin of despair.  Reluctantly taking a break from the first new romance she's embarked on since the recent end of her thirty-year marriage, Birdie circles the wagons and enlists the help of her younger daughter Tate, and her own sister, India.  Soon all four are headed to beautiful, rustic Tuckernuck Island, off the coast of Nantucket, where their family has summered for generations.  No phones, no television no grocery store - a place where they can escape their troubles.

But when sisters, daughters, ex-lovers, and long-kept secrets come together on a remote island, what might sound like a peaceful getaway becomes much more.  Before summer has ended, dramatic truths are uncovered, old loves are rekindled, and new loves make themselves known.  It's a summertime story only Elin Hilderbrand can tell, filled with the heartache, laughter, and surprises that have made her compelling, bestselling novels as much a part of summer as a long afternoon on a sunny beach.

My Take:

Did you ever hear a story from someone (usually a grandparent) that started off a little slow, and you were a bit antsy, but once you got used to the "just takin' my time" vibe of the story, you started to get into it and really enjoy it?  That was The Island for me.  At first, I was like come on, pick up the pace, but I realized I was just being impatient and I needed to just slow down and let the author tell me a story.  The author really took the time to create rich and diverse characters, while still giving them little links to one another so that it is obvious that they  are a family.  The bulk of the story takes place on an island near Nantucket called Tuckernuck, where there is no electricity, no cars, no hot water.  People go there to relax and take their time doing a whole lot of nothing.  This is very much the vibe of the book, it isn't so much about what happens to these ladies, but more about exploring the character's thoughts, feelings and reactions to the events.  This is a great book to bring to the beach, or some other relaxing environment when you just want to take it easy.  The book isn't exciting, but it is very fulfilling.  In many ways I found the characters to be unrelatable; everyone in the story ranges from very wealthy to filthy rich, owns a summer home, globe trots, has a fabulous job, went to an Ivy League school and eats things like blue fish pate.  But these are just surface things, when it came to the character traits that really mattered, it was easy to connect.  You've got old comforting conflict standbys like a younger sister living in the shadow of the older sister, the housewife regretting never getting an education, and of course, youthful unrequited love.  Don't worry though, the overall conflict is not generic, each woman has her own set of problems, and how each handles them ranged from such things as quiting a cushy job and shaving their head to slicing up a masterful painting.  I grew to love each character and would highly recommend this book to someone looking for something mellow and fulfilling.  2, Borders with a Coupon

Audio book Review:  The audio book wasn't great but it wasn't bad.  Little things the actress did with her voice drove me crazy, but I am super OCD when picking up on the little things in people's speech patterns.  

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

If this book were a movie it would likely be rated R for brief strong language, adult situations and sexual content

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

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